The Ghana Commercialization of Rice Project (G-CORP), through Agribusiness Systems International (ASI), with funding and technical support from the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has supported over 4,000 smallholder farmers in the Volta Region in a three-and-half year programme.

Among other things the project has achieved are the building of the business and management capacity of twenty aggregators to extend improved services to over 4,700 smallholder farmers, the establishment of 176 hectares of demonstration plots, direct training of over 2,700 smallholders in good agricultural practices, postharvest handling and quality management, group dynamics, business planning and financial management.

The programme further educated an estimated 10,000 farmers through the media on improved rice agronomic practices and post-harvest technologies for rice growing communities; and the supply of 4,045 metric tonnes of paddy to the farmers valued at GH?5,115,800.

Commenting on the benefits of the project, the Country Director, ASI Ghana, Dr. Betty Annan, said the programme facilitated access to mechanised harvest services to over 3,000 outgrowers which boosted production and also improved quality of the paddy.

“Apart from several other achievements, we also facilitated access to mechanised harvest services for over 3,000 outgrowers, thereby improving the quality of paddy they delivered. We also encouraged financial inclusiveness, by introducing secure and easy access payment mechanisms by partnering with Tigo Cash to set up mobile money payment platforms for commercial mills to pay their smallholder suppliers.

Through this platform, over 1,815 smallholders enrolled have received cash payments of GH?2, 904, 100,” Dr. Betty said in an interview the B&FT during a close-out workshop in Ho.

The G-CORP project also provided the platform for the smallholder farmers to meet some of the leading agricultural investors such as Global Agri-Development Company, (GADCO) under their Copa Connect initiative, and Worawora Rice Mills (WRM) which gave the farmers direct access to major markets by working through a network of community level product aggregators.

One of the Aggregators, Asase Bibby, expressed his gratitude for the support from AGRA, and promised on behalf of the farmers, that everything will be done to ensure that the intended purpose of the funds will be realized so that the funds can be extended to other farmers in the future.

AGRA is an African-led alliance with the vision of providing a food-secure and prosperous future for all Africans. Its mission is to catalyze and sustain an agricultural transformation in Africa through innovation-driven productivity increases and access to markets and finance that improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers. It is focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives

ASI is an affiliate of ACDI/VOCA, a non-profit international development organization which has over 52 years of experience expanding economic opportunities through programs in five core technical areas: agribusiness, food security, community development, financial services, and enterprise development. ASI and ACDI/VOCA have been working in Ghana for the past eight years, implementing market-driven agricultural development programs funded by several donors.